RYAN Adams reckons Jesse Malin's songs are so good they hurt, so good that he produced his debut album. Bruce Springsteen's band learned three numbers from that record for The Boss's Christmas shows, and The Boss duly invited him to sing them alongside him.

"It felt so weird with him standing there singing and playing guitar on my songs," says Malin, who will be performing in York - solo rather than with Springsteen - at Fibbers next Friday.

His York debut forms part of an almost absurdly demanding schedule for the New York singer songwriter. Tonight he performs at the midnight release party for his second album, The Heat, at Mother******, New York, having just sold out three nights at the Mercury Lounge, where The Pianist star Adrian Brody and film maker Jim Jarmusch were in attendance.

On Tuesday next week, he has a slot on NBC's Late Nite with Conan O'Brian show in New York; next Friday he starts off his British solo travels in York; next Saturday, he heads further north to Scotland for an afternoon spot at the T In The Park Festival; the next night he will be in the Midlands, at a Leicester club. Then it is onwards to London for an acoustic showcase at The Metro the following evening.

So The Heat is on for Malin, former front man of New York glam punks D-Generation, who has already played a 19-date British and Irish tour in May and will return for another full-scale itinerary in September.

Fibbers manager Tim Hornsby is chuffed to be hosting the opening night of his latest visit. "Part Coney Island heartbreak, part Shane MacGowan drunkenness, and all rock'n'roll nobility, Jesse Malin is reminiscent of Lennon or Neil Young at his most sombre," he says.

Malin will be on stage in York at 9pm next Friday, preceded by support act Tim Arnold. Tickets: £8 advance; £9 door.

Updated: 15:20 Thursday, July 01, 2004